Whaaat? How the Hail is it possible that three weeks are over and done with, and that I’m nearly done with the first month of Grown-Up University (let’s go with the gelatinous-sounding acronym, GUU). Here’s some updates:
Lows:
Not running (but doing lots of other things): I realized at the end of this week that I have been so busy doing various different kinds of exercise—which is good—that I haven’t been running 3 times a week—which is not so good given that both of my exams in Physical Education 101 are running-related. In a month, I’m supposed to be running a two-mile course with a local running club for my mid-term exam, which seems a bit ambitious at this juncture. In week 3, I went to yoga, took a Boot Camp class, played tennis, and took a hip hop dance class, plus 2 days of running and 2 rest days. I’ve decided that I am going to try to move up to 6 days of exercise per week, rather than the 5 I’ve been maintaining so far. Hopefully my body will cooperate. I am also going to try to set a running schedule, such that I always run Tues, Thurs, and Sun, regardless of what else I do.
Not blogging (but doing lots of other things): I am less than thrilled that I only got one other post out this week. Granted, it was an epic post rivaling The Iliad in length, but still. Most of this blame I attribute to my brand-new Kindle, which I love, love, love. Anyone else have one or thinking about getting one? I was on the fence for a long time, because I have been building a physical library for ages, love to browse in bookstores, and would feel somewhat guilty for helping said bookstores on their way towards their inevitable bankruptcy. Now that I have a Kindle, I am an instant convert. So I’ve been reading a lot. I’m glad, too, that the rest of my books for my GUU syllabi will be cheaper, easy to find, and all in one place. I Heart!
I am going to going aim for more frequent, if shorter, blog posts, so as not to disappoint my 10 loyal readers out there 
. Thanks, 10 loyal readers!
Highs:
Weird! That's exactly what I look like at Hip Hop dance class... (image via tibchris on Flickr)
Dancing: One of my passions throughout a big chunk of my life was dancing, and some of you may have noticed that some of my participation points for Phys Ed 101 are based on attending at least 10 dance classes before the end of December. I included dance in the syllabi because this was the only exercise I have ever really loved to do, with the exception of gymnastics (and it’s fair to say that my back-handspring-on-the-balance-beam days have been dead and gone since the arrival of my boobs long ago).
Last Monday night I took a hip-hop dance class with one of my friends. Hip Hop is not my forte (I was always a contemporary and ballet kind of girl), and I feel a bit inappropriately old shaking my booty like a stripper, but those kinds of insecurities are manageable. It was still really damn fun. More importantly, it made me feel more like my old self—the fit, confident person who has been off taking a nap somewhere inside me.
Cooking: I surprised myself by finding this still really fun! Last Wednesday, I attended a one-session “Cooking Local” class. I learned lots of tips and tricks—like immersion blenders are one of the most handy kitchen gadgets, and the secret to soft oven-roasted eggplant is an even coating of olive oil—and I learned a few recipes. My favorite was an insanely tasty eggplant sandwich that I have since made for lunch (and I don’t even really like eggplant that much). First, you roast some red peppers by placing them whole on a pan right under the broiler, flipping them until all sides look charred. Then you set them in a bowl with a cloth over it to steam a bit, and when they’ve cooled you peel off the skin. Whatever you do, never wash roasted red peppers because it supposedly kills the flavor! Then, you roast eggplant in the oven for 30 or so minutes. While you’re waiting, slice some tomatoes and use your new immersion blender to blend some basil with olive oil and garlic (basically make pesto minus the nuts). After it’s all done, layer eggplant, feta cheese, tomatoes, roast red peppers, and basil oil on bread for a heavenly veggie sandwich.
Last Friday, I made homemade pizza for the first time—not the world’s healthiest entrée, but had a small portion of a gruyere, apple, and onion pizza with swiss chard, and had a friend over. I also tried spaghetti squash for the first time. I was really worried when I opened it up and saw the pumpkin-like goo (not to be confused with GUU) and seeds inside, but once it was cooked, scraped into “noodles,” and covered in tomato sauce, it was a total success. My husband got back from his business trip on Saturday, and I also felt proud to cook for him, not oppressed and barefoot n’pregnant like I used to think I would feel. I made him pan-seared scallops over roasted garlic pasta, and they were restaurant-quality, if I’m honest. The nice seared fish smell lingered in our apartment for nearly the whole week, a fair price to pay for some tastiness.
canning tomatoes...yum! (image via lillieinthecity on Flickr)
Immersion Blender: My cooking instructor was totally right. I got a good-quality KitchenAid one for less than $40, and have used it several times in the past week. You can use it for making salad dressings, hummus, smoothies, all kinds of stuff, and only have to clean the blending attachment, not an entire blender or food processor.
Canning: It’s late in the season to start canning (most of the good stuff has come and gone already), but I’m glad there’s still a little time. I took a really cool canning class sponsored by Slow Food Pittsburgh last Sunday. After taking the class and finishing Saving the Seasons, I feel confident that I will not be giving myself or anyone I love botulism, and plan to can some tomatoes with the last of the season’s crop, and also try to can a fall-appropriate green tomato chutney that we sampled at the class. It was amazing, and would make really good gifts. Did I just write that? Do I really plan to make a homemade food product and intentionally give it away to others as a gift? Who is this person?
Overall Course Progress from Week 3:
Participation points:
√ Went to farmer’s market & created a meal plan for the week
√ Tried 3+ new recipes: gruyere and apple pizza from Carrots N Cake, spaghetti squash, pan-seared scallops and garlic pasta, sweet and sour chicken, and eggplant sandwich.
√ Spent time daily setting and reviewing goals
√ Spent time daily writing and working on my writing
√ Did 300 minutes of exercise this week! Woo hoo!
√ Completed a 35-hour work week
√ Took a dance class
Exams in progress:
√ No television (minus 1 point from my exam score for watching the Glee season premiere—that didn’t even feel optional, it felt like mandatory cheating. Totally worth it.)
Assignments completed:
√ Went to “local cooking” class
√ Finished reading: Omnivore’s Dilemma
√ Finished reading Saving the Seasons
You should be proud of yourself, Leslie! Look at all of the things you’ve accomplished and enjoy (love the part about the hip-hop….too funny!)
I really perked up when I got to the part about the blender and the possibility of making hummus. Have you actually done this? I am on a huge, HUGE hummus kick and am wondering a)how good it actually is for you and b)if you can make it yourself and squeeze out fewer calories. The kind I’m eating right now averages 70-80 calories per 2 tablespoons and I can eat WAY more than that.
Keep up the good work. Post when you can, but your *10* readers will be happy to know that your lack of time here on the blog is because you’re filling your actual life with wonderful things!
I can attest that she did in fact make it and it was delicious. Easily as good as any store-bought brands – actually it was better than many brands I’ve had in the past.
Thanks, Ellen!
The hip-hop instructor warned us to “bring our kneepads” to class tonight (as if that’s something we all just have hanging around the house) , so that’s a little concerning…
I don’t think you’re going to get much lower than 70-80 cals per 2 tbsp for hummus. I used a can of garbanzo beans, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp tahini, one garlic clove, some salt to taste, juice of 1/2 a lemon, a bit of fresh parsley and cilantro, and 1/4 of a roasted red pepper. I’m estimating it had about 45-50 calories per tbsp! The chickpeas themselves are a little high in calories (25-30 cals a tbsp). I still used some tahini and olive oil, which are both high in calories, and the texture wasn’t that smooth. I looked at several recipes on line and most called for way more olive oil and tahini. You could try it entirely without the olive oil if you don’t mind a grittier texture, and use more herbs, lemon juice, and some kind of veggie like sundried tomatoes or roasted red peppers. I was surprised how easy it was to make.
Thanks Leslie! I’m grateful for the recipe. I’ll try it and let you know how it goes!
Great job so far! Don’t sweat the blogging, save that for exercise class! Seriously, you are doing great, and you are really busy, which means you are doing something more worthwhile than sitting on your butt in front to the computer. Maybe pick one or two days to post regularly? Trying to post too often gets draining, and your loyal fans can totally wait a two or three days between posts. Don’t wear yourself out before you are halfway done!
A suggestion for the hummus- try using some of the liquid from the bean can, or cooking liquid, or a little water. It will thin and smooth the hummus without adding calories or changing the flavor too much. It keeps my oil consumption down!
Thanks
. I like the idea of picking a few regular days to blog. I agree that one wouldn’t want to burn out with the blogging, or feel like it’s another burdensome thing that has to be done, rather than a fun hobby that’s mostly intended to help me stay accountable and get some thoughts out of my head.
Great suggestion about using some of the bean liquid in hummus–I used a little water because I had to, but the bean liquid would be a lot more flavorful.
Good to hear from you!